Meaty Goodness (not for the veggie of heart)

SOLGA 5828 N. Lincoln, Chicago Tel: (773) 728-0802 Obscene amounts of meaty goodness, soup and ricewine: approx. $25/person Slowly-exploding feeling: pricelesss

review.

So, our guest of honor, Travis A. Jackson, promised a guest review, but he has yet to submit anything. We feel betrayed, abandoned, and a bit aroused.
NEWS FLASH! Travis, racked with guilt, has provided us with a review. Enjoy (responsibly):

The first thing I should say about the evening at SOLGA is that I was there on sufferance, as an interloper. (I express here my undying gratitude to 54FF for deigning to allow me to share their evening.) In a sense, though, four out of six of us were interlopers. Without Young and Sheila to translate, offer cultural context, tell us when to flip things and how (not) to offend when drinking tea or rice wine, the rest of us would simply have muddled our way through. We still did, but at least we knew how we were muddling.

We started with a number of small dishes--kimchee, cold noodles, sprouts, etc.--while we waited for Shayna to arrive from whatever mysterious things she was already doing on the North Side. The hands-down winner among the small dishes (at least where Luis and I were concerned--I was sitting next to him so all is colored) was a spicy tofu soup. (Yes, I learned the name, but that was two months ago, and I was too busy eating to take notes).

Our reason for being there was Korean barbecue: lots of beef, onion, garlic, spices, sauces, etc., wrapped in lettuce and shoved into our mouths over and over and over again. Young acted as grill-meistress, nearly slapping my sticks away as I tried to help her. But it was all in fun, or at least I think it was. My best evidence: Shayna’s happiness as we bid Sheila adieu (more nefarious North Side activities?). Shayna was clearly feeling the same foodlove we all were but was less shy about expressing it. I never knew how agile Shayna could be nor that the roofs of Tauruses were reinforced.

Anyway, the food was excellent and well-priced (about $25 per person), the service was good (though I didn’t understand a word of what was said), and Young got to take everything home. I’d go back, but I’d probably have to take a Korean speaker with me. I can’t remember whether there were non-Koreans there. But I guess that’s because we were the center of the universe that evening. Or, more accurately, I was given a brief glimpse into life at the center of the (54FF) universe. To all else I am now blind. (TAJ, 01/30/05)

minutes.

1. So, once the waitress brought out that massive tray of raw meat and threw it on the BBQ, our eyes became unfocused, time seemed to blur, and we forgot to take minutes.
2. We discussed possibly doing tapas for the next dinner, but we didn't settle on a date. Why? Rice wine, that's why.